Q: So it’s a haunted house film?
A: Well, no. Conventional wisdom teaches us that when confronted with a haunted house, the best course of action is to leave ASAP. Once you’re out of the haunted house you’re okay. See also: The Amityville Horror, The Legend of Hell House.

The difference with the Grudge films is, once you’ve set foot in the house, you’re screwed. Totally screwed. It’s not haunted, it’s cursed, and the curse might kill you in the house, but more likely it’s going to follow you home. And most likely it’s going to mess with your head for a few days and make you crap your pants and then kill you. And that’s part of what makes these films so disturbing: there’s no getting away from it